An 80-year-old former truck driver from northern Italy is under investigation for murder in connection with alleged “sniper tourism” during the siege of Sarajevo three decades ago.
Milan prosecutors are investigating following a legal complaint filed by Ezio Gavazzeni, a Milan-based writer who collected evidence on the allegations that individuals paid Bosnian Serb soldiers to shoot at civilians.
The former truck driver, who lives near the northern Italian town of Pordenone, is the first person formally placed under investigation since the inquiry began in November. The man was summoned by prosecutors for questioning on February 9.
Authorities reportedly recovered seven legally owned weapons from his home, including two handguns, a rifle, and four shotguns. Prosecutors said testimony suggests he allegedly boasted about having “hunted men” in Sarajevo during the war.
According to sources cited by Reuters, the man, who was not named, faces multiple counts of premeditated murder, aggravated by base motives.
Italian media reported that the prosecutor’s order claims that the suspected crimes were carried out “in collusion with other individuals still unknown” and, following “a single criminal plan,” resulted in the deaths of “defenseless civilians, including women, the elderly, and children, by firing sniper rifles from the hills surrounding the city of Sarajevo.”
More than 10,000 people were killed in Sarajevo by shelling and sniper fire during the 1992–1996 siege, considered the longest in modern history.
Italian outlets report that the investigation also extends to France, Switzerland, and Belgium, as participants in the alleged sniper trips came from multiple countries.
